New Interim Chief Executive Officer & President Named

(Cleveland, Ohio) – The Board of Trustees of The MetroHealth System announced today the appointment of Mark J. Moran as Interim Chief Executive Officer and President, effective immediately.

Moran is well-known to MetroHealth’s Board and its administrative and clinical leadership. For more than a year, Moran has led an internal team in developing a strategic plan for MetroHealth. He worked closely with trustees, senior leadership, and The Strategic Planning Committee, representing a diverse group of MetroHealth physicians, nurses and staff. That group reaffirmed MetroHealth’s mission of service to all and its goals of clinical and academic excellence, and formulated initiatives to strengthen its operational performance and financial condition. The Board approved the mission and vision for the System and the strategic plan at its January meeting.

“It is of vital importance to MetroHealth and to the community we serve that the implementation of the strategic plan be successful,” states William S. Gaskill, MetroHealth Board Chair. “Mark Moran is uniquely qualified to carry out the plan that he was so intimately involved in creating. He will rely on the talents of the MetroHealth administrative and clinical leadership to help the organization achieve its vision.”

Prior to his appointment at MetroHealth, Moran was a partner at the strategic consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton. In his 20 years of global experience at Booz Allen, Moran helped clients build effective leadership teams capable of implementing strategic transformation and turnaround programs. He also has academic experience, having spent six years teaching finance at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.

“The Board has confidence in the leadership that already exists at MetroHealth,” says Gaskill. “We believe that a permanent CEO will likely be found among the current leaders of the organization. The implementation of our strategic plan is an opportunity to further develop our leadership talent. Mark Moran has the perfect combination of skills that MetroHealth needs at this time. His experience in organizational transformation, developing leadership teams and improving financial performance can guide MetroHealth’s top management to successfully transform the organization. In fact, he brings a fresh, outside perspective that has already proven itself beneficial in developing that plan. Under his leadership, we anticipate that a permanent President and CEO will be appointed, perhaps within 18 to 24 months.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to help an organization I believe in and people I care about in my home town,” said Moran. “MetroHealth is a mission-driven health care provider that is committed to clinical excellence and a deep moral purpose. The staff provides outstanding care to the community. Today our role is difficult because of the weak local economy and uncertain health care funding at national, state and local levels. The implementation of the strategic plan is vital to MetroHealth’s financial stability and its ability to continue serving the needs of the community, which is our sacred public trust.”

Moran will work closely with the senior MetroHealth executives who currently guide the day-to-day operations. They will continue to act as a senior leadership team reporting to the Interim CEO/President.

Moran is a long-time resident of northeast Ohio. He was raised in Cleveland Heights and currently lives with his wife Nancy in Gates Mills, Ohio. He holds a PhD in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is 52 years old, the father of four and grandfather of two.

The MetroHealth System is one of the nation’s largest public health providers, ranking in the top 1% of all hospitals nationwide for quality in patient care. As Ohio’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma and burn center, MetroHealth is a nationally-recognized leader in critical care and rehabilitation, community health, high-risk perinatal care, and senior health. MetroHealth offers the region’s largest urban-based network of community health centers focused on reducing health disparities through comprehensive care to vulnerable populations. MetroHealth achieved Magnet designation in 2005, the nation's highest honor for nursing excellence, and was chosen as one of the 2007 Top 100 Hospitals nationwide by Thomson Healthcare. Founded in 1837, MetroHealth has been a major affiliate of Case Western Reserve University since 1914 and all MetroHealth physicians are CWRU faculty. MetroHealth is Cleveland's tenth largest employer with more than 6,500 employees. For more information on The MetroHealth System, visit www.metrohealth.org.